FAT MOON said:

I'm not seeing it. I think he's gets his lunch eaten by a real big man anyway so why not go small and at least create a mismatch trying to have a big cover Lathan or Martini have the mismatch on our offensive end. Drag their big out of the middle for Ace and Dylan or allow them to have an open look if he does stay.

We are gonna have to rebound as a team and hopefully they can convince Ace to really commit to being an 8-10 a game guy because he could if he wanted to he plays so far above the rim he could snatch balls no one else on this team could with ease.

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My confidence level here isn't super high...especially since Ogobole can't stop being an idiot on the court.

He is bigger, he can be a shot blocker, and I think he rebounds both glasses better. But the hands..........didn't get new ones in 2024-25

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This is the way of the game these days. Attack the rim or shoot from 3.

Greene Rice FIG said:

If he was declared out for the game and the coach said he was healthy…..

Was it unethical to say anything after Hobbs stepped down?

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Regarding Hobbs, what was happening was pretty obvious. When there is a forest fire's worth of smoke in the sky it's OK to suggest there is probably a fire. Bad comparison.

What do you mean the coach said he was healthy? The coach said he was injured.

Throw it in the trash! Boy do I hate where this game has gone.

Obviously to succeed this is necessary.

RocktheRac said:

Not good from what I heard

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Opposite from what my dad heard last night. SHOULD be good to go on Monday but "if not" it isn't a "not good" situation regardless.

scarletpumpernickl said:

Lathan was like Woolfolk with better basketball skills. For those who followed the team in the 90's, Ogbole was like Josh Sankes.

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Sankes played in the NCAAs for Holy Cross. Here is a notable article about him.

Greene Rice FIG said:

Ogobole is still the man in most B1G games….assuming he doesnt kick or fight someone which unfortunately seems like a big if.

Sommerville still has a long way to go defensively. With Dylan and Ace most nights defense is what is important at the 5.

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I'm not seeing it. I think he's gets his lunch eaten by a real big man anyway so why not go small and at least create a mismatch trying to have a big cover Lathan or Martini have the mismatch on our offensive end. Drag their big out of the middle for Ace and Dylan or allow them to have an open look if he does stay.

We are gonna have to rebound as a team and hopefully they can convince Ace to really commit to being an 8-10 a game guy because he could if he wanted to he plays so far above the rim he could snatch balls no one else on this team could with ease.

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RUInsanity said:

Not sure I saw any better Og effectiveness on D last night compared to Lathan.

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Tough to see much in 5 minutes
😃

We have to go on last year and quite frankly his size.

RUInsanity said:

From what I observed - it's just game #1 but I'm a bit pessimistic about Offensive Rebounding this season. Maybe it's just a function of the team needing to gel more - but the post player positioning seemed off in terms of increasing potential for O Rebounds.

On the plus side - I'm optimistic that overall offensive efficiency will increase. Especially when Ace returns. In the first half we were sloppy and out of sync on offense for a period. This improved in the 2nd half and I would expect that this would tighten with rotations including Ace on O. Just my anecdotal observation but the ball movement seemed better than last season, there was less focus on mid-range shots and the 3 points shots taken were mostly open and spot-up off of passes.

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offensive rebounding can be a pretty big part of offensive efficiency....

Job 1 was to fix defensive rebounding. Game 1 that was a success.

I think we all agree the Center position is where we are vulnerable. Having a guy like Cliff or even the St. Johns dude would probably have us in the top 10. But as is, it looks like we can live up to our pre-season top 25 billing. When you shoot 30% from 3, get outrebounded, miss your free throws, and still win by 20+ points, you've got something.

If you want to understand why Lathan is a better fit for this version of offense, there were driving lanes all game, when Ogbole wasn't in the game.

Lathan doesn't clog the paint or require him to only score on low-block post ups, which allows the opposing 5 to just wait for Ace, JWil or Dylan to drive into traffic.

I am fairly certain that the bigs on other teams, have to leave the paint to guard Lathan, where they don't have to, if Ogbole, Wolf, Cliff or Myles Johnson was on the floor. If Lathan hits perimeter shots or 3s AND can screen and catch and then generate his own offense, we are much better off to offset the scoring given up when the rebounding isn't solid.

There is no perfect roster of players, unless Ace Bailey averages 24 and 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals a game in 30 minutes, with Dylan giving us 22, 6 assists and low turnovers.

very interesting. I have to say i like dylan in the midrange and ace is pretty good there too but the rest should probably not be taking too many there

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RU205 said:

Harper was by far the best player on the court last night. And it wasn’t even close. I don’t know the last time I saw an RU player clearly better than everyone else. And he didn’t try to do to much or force anything.

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So smooth out there like he's gliding. One of these special players who can see two moves or plays ahead, maybe more.

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Craziest thing about Lathan is he hasnt yet added his weight back yet in a good way. Any time ive seen kids lose weight like that they usually need another season and offseason to fully break out as they add muscle to their frame and you can tell theres some things Lathan is still learning at his size he won't be able to do as much as he would when he was 20-25 pounds heavier. Then again, a lot of things have been unlocked for him at this new speed and agility that he will learn too and hopefully enough to play meaningful minutes this year cause he can be a tremendous aid to us.